Life-boat.



H. MINTZ.

LIFE BOAT.

' APPEIOATION FILED MAY 10, 1912. 1,033,607. .Patented July 23, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. MINTZ LIFE BOAT. APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1912.

1,033,607. Patented July 23, 1912.

Wu/mom nrmanivrlnrz, or rass'nro, NEW master.

LIFE-BOAT.

Specification of lietters Patent.

Application filed May 10, 1912.. Serial No. 696,535.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, HYMAN MINTZ, a citizen of the United Statea residing at lassaic, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Boats, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing. 1

. This invention relates to life boats and has for its primary object the provision of a boat of this character capable of rough usage and possessing characteristics rendering the same proof against swamping, protecting the occupants from the elements, and enabling the same to be propelled under navigable conditions, while at other times permitting the boat to be buffeted about without danger of capsizing, etc in turbulent waters.

A practical embodiment of my invention embraces fundamentally a boat having what maybe styled a double shell body, the outer ,rotatable about the inner, and the inner shell designed to be occupied by the users being entirely closed to water except forsuitable elevated ventilating openings.

The invention also comprehends the provision on the outer rotatable shell, of propelling instrumentalities, such as a screw, operable incident to the positive rotation of the outer shell from a suitable source of power sealed within the inner shell, and means permitting release of the positive driv ing means to free the outer shell for independent rotation, all fora purpose as will more fully hereinafter appear fMany'details in the construction and arrangement of the above referred to embodiinent of the invention will be apparent from {the following specific description, when read ings forming part hereof and wherein such embodiment of the invention is illustrated for the purpose of assisting in lmpartlng a ,clear understanding of the underlying feature-s of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1' is a lOllglttlCll nal sectional view of the boat, Fig. 2 1s a side elevation, Fig. 3 is an end view, partsin connection with the accompanying drawyiews, A represents an inner shell constituting the main portion of the body of the boat adapted'to receive the occupants, the same being provided with any number of suitably arranged seats B. An outer shell of the body is represented at C, the two shells A and C being of approximatelytapering or torpedo outline, and the outer shell C being rotatably mounted upon the inner shell.

The inner shell'is closed throughout, save at the tubular ends D, which latter terminate in upwardly projecting houses E provlded with openings F at the tops thereof for the purpose of'ventilating the interior of the shell A. These houses are provided .with suitable windows G for lookouts, and

one or both of the houses has a door G affording access to the interior of the shell A in any manner that may be found most convenient in keeping with the type and purposes of the craft.

The seats and other apparatus towhich I will later allude impart suflicient weight to the bottom or keel of the inner shell A to maintain the same in its normal position, so that the tops of the houses E may also be normally open. with safety. I however,'

provide caps G separated from butv overhanging these openings to prevent the splash from entering the same, but under abnormal conditions, valves H, held open by weighted floats I will automatically close under the action of any substantial volume of water to momentarily shutthe tops'of the houses.

As previously suggested, the outer shell C is rotatably mounted on the inner shell A to which end ball bearings J are interposed between. the tubular projecting portions D and the'ends K and L of the outer shell C, the inner shell also carrying several series of an'tifriction rollers 'M over which in: tern-ally disposed tracks N on the outer shell C will travel in the rotary'movement of the latter.

It is desirable in a lifeboat that the same Patented July 23, 1912. i

be capable of proper propulsion at least for relatively short distances 'in order, for example, to facilitate a get-away from the immediate region of a sinking vessel and to permit .steering to avoidpbstructions, etc. To this end I mount within the shell A,

a medium for generating power, such as a gasolene engine 0 provided with a driving sprocket wheel P, connected through the medium of a sprocket chain Q with a driven v fiuence on the inner shell A.

sprocket Wheel R, preferably aranged and mounted near the top of the shell A. The shaft of the driven sprocket wheel R passes through a sealed bearing S in the end wall '1' of the shell A and carries a pinion U meshing with an annular internal rack V at the adjacent end of the rotatable shell C and within the end wall L of the same. A suitable clutch 1V may be arranged intermediate of the drive Wheel P and engine 0 to couple and uncouple the same as desired. A screw X is formed on the exterior surface of the rotatable shell C to propel the boat through the water when the shell is positively rotated by means of the engine 0, and the connections running therefrom to the annular rack V on the outer shell. A suitable rudder Y is provided for steering the boat, and the same may be manipulated from any point and by any convenient means, .as

found expedient.

At times it is desirable that the outer shell be free to rotate independently of the driving connections, as where the weather is unduly rough, and to that end I mount the shaft of the pinion U in an eccentric bearing Z so that by properly adjusting the bearing, the pinion U will in turn be with drawn from its meshing engagement with the annular rack V and entirely free the outer shell to be rotated back and forth under the action of the waves, etc., without exerting any substantial or corresponding turning in- While I have herein disclosed one-specific embodiment of the invention, it will be aparent to persons skilled in the art that the invention 13 capable of embodimentsin other forms and devices also that any of the usual or desirable appurtenances may be applied to and carried by the boat, such as,water and revision compartments, light, toilet and signaling apparatus, etc.

I claim v 1. A lifeboat comprising an inner shell adapted to receive-occupants, an outer shell surrounding the same rotatable with refer ence thereto, said outer shell being formed with a driven member, in combination with means for propelling the outer shell comprising a motor on the inner shell, drive connections between the motor and said driven member, and means for releasing and lock ing in released condition the engaging member between tb driving connections and the driven member of the outer shell to permit the outer shell to rotate independently of all interior associated devices.

2. A life boat comprising an inner shell adapted to receive occupants, an outer shell surrounding the same'rotatable with reference thereto, said outer shell being formed with a driven member, in combination with means for propelling the outer shell comprising a motor on the inner shell, drive connections between the motor and said driven member, and means for releasing and locking in released condition the engaging member between the driving connections and the driven-member of the outer shell to permit the outer shell to rotate independently of all interior associateddevices, in combination with other means for coupling and uncoupling the driving connections relative to the motor. i

3. A life boat of the character described comprising an inner shell, an outer shell rotatable with reference to the inner shell and inelosing the same, said outer shell being formed with propelling means and a driven member, means for operating the propelling means comprising a power generatmg means mounted on the inner shell having drive connections leading therefrom to the driven member of the outer shell to rotate the latter, in combination with means for releasing and locking in released condition the driving means to permit the outer shell to rotate independently of all associated devices, the driving connections including a rotating device engaging the driven member on the outer shell, and the releasing means including means for shifting and holding the bearing of said rotatable device to withdraw the same into disengaged position relative to the outer shell.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in-presence of two witnesses.

p HYMAN MINTZ. Witnesses:

HARRY Minrz, J os. H. MILANS. 

